1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine provided with a speed change electric motor.
2. Description of Background Art
As an internal combustion engine in which speed change in a transmission is performed by the driving of a speed change electric motor through a speed change drive mechanism, there is the example disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-108093.
The speed change electric motor and the speed change drive mechanism in the internal combustion engine disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-108093 are located on the right side of a torque converter provided at a front end portion of a crankshaft so as not to overlap with the torque converter in the axial direction, and is disposed between the crankshaft and an output shaft, so that the distance between the crankshaft and the output shaft is large due to the presence of the speed change electric motor and the speed change drive mechanism.
In addition, neither of the plane containing a main shaft and a counter shaft and the plane containing the motor drive shaft of the speed change electric motor and a shaft spindle is parallel to the plane containing the crankshaft and the output shaft; particularly, the main shaft and the shift spindle are remote from the plane containing the crankshaft and the output shaft.
Furthermore, in the speed change drive mechanism, two idle gear shafts are provided for the purpose of enlarging the speed reduction ratio and earning torque, so that the number of component parts is large.
When it is intended to cope with the purpose by using only one idle gear shaft, a large diameter gear must be provided for earning torque; in this case, in order to prevent the large diameter gear from interfering with the output shaft, the output shaft must be set farther from the crankshaft, which hampers a reduction in the size of the internal combustion engine.